“Okay, let’s begin then.” Jonelle removed a small recorder from her handbag. “Hope you don’t object, but this is less obvious than me taking out a pad and pen.”
Marcella shrugged. “Um, um, okay, okay by me.” A lopsided grin settled on the thin face. To Jonelle, Marcella resembled someone who’s just spent an hour under the hot sun, instead of four hours in an office.
“If I remember correctly, when we first met you said LucieBlu had missed three days off work.”
“Right. She took off work to attend an audition on Friday, the day before the parade. The part was for the role of Audrey in the Community Playhouse’s rendition of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. I helped her with her lines, and she was gonna sing ‘Somewhere That’s Green.’ I couldn’t go watch because of work,” Marcella added when she noticed the question on Jonelle’s face.
“When I saw her Saturday morning she was in great spirits. Said she felt she nailed the part.” Marcella looked down into her glass. “I didn’t worry when I hadn’t heard from her Sunday, and even when she didn’t call Monday morning I wasn’t all that concerned. She often asked for time off in advance. But, when I got to work Tuesday and they said she hadn’t contacted them, that wasn’t like her.”
Marcella paused as the waiter set down the food. After spooning soup in her mouth and nibbling a lettuce roll, Marcella continued. “Problem is, the tryout must not have gone well, in spite of what she felt about it ‘cause if she’d gotten the part she would’ve called me right away. Whenever she didn’t get a part she wanted, she’d go into a funk. She wouldn’t talk to anyone, didn’t want anyone to bother her. Normally that only lasted a day or at the most, two. I got concerned so I went over to check her apartment and she wasn’t there.” Marcella sighed. “The bag she always carried was missing, but her cellphone was still on the dresser. I checked her closet. Her favorite green dress was gone and so were her best shoes. They were Manolos. She saved three months for those.”
“Hmm.” Jonelle munched quietly while Marcella told the story. Something occurred to her.
“Do you have a more recent picture? It’s hard to tell what she looks like on the flyer.”
Marcella’s hand closed around her glass but she didn’t bring the drink to her mouth. She stared at Jonelle for a few beats.
“Yeah. I got a few shots on my phone.” She pulled up the pictures, and handed the phone over, her eyes glued to Jonelle’s face.
A softer image emerged through the phone, not as harsh as the copied photo on the flyer. The hair, more brown than black, had blond highlights. The eyes were a deep green. Jonelle wondered how to broach the subject, and decided to just plunge right in.
“Did LucieBlu have the, uh, operation yet? You know, to make her a real woman?”
Marcella glowered. “Do you have any idea what transgender means?”
“Well, yeah. A person is born one way, and then they decide they want to be the other sex.” Not sure where the woman’s change in attitude came from, Jonelle waited.
“No. They don’t decide. They don’t wake up one day and say, ‘know what? Think I’ll try this other sex thing for a while.’ No, no, no. It’s who they are. Some kinda genetic quirk assigned her a particular sex, but she told me she has always identified with being female.”
Jonelle flinched at the word “quirk” but decided not to respond.
Marcella added, using her fork for emphasis, “As for ‘the operation’, it’s actually called transitioning. It’s what they go through to begin living as the gender they identify with. LucieBlu had decided against sex reassignment surgery, at least for now. All she did was take drugs and go through hormone therapy.”
Jonelle felt thoroughly chastened, and more than a little embarrassed. Still, she needed to know one important thing. “Okay, sorry if I offended. I guess my point is, is it possible that she may not appear as, uh… feminine to some people and maybe the other actors picked up on the fact that she used to be Lawrence? I’ve heard those artistic types are really sensitive to things like that.”
Head thrown back to get the last of the scotch, Marcella looked as if she were contemplating getting drink number three. Jonelle mentally added up the cost of the liquor she’d have to account for on her expense account.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Marcella asked, pushing the glass to one side.
“Maybe somebody resented her. Maybe the male lead felt uncomfortable with, uh… the possibility of getting intimate with her. Maybe someone made her disappear. I’m just covering all the bases.” Jonelle struggled with Marcella’s defensive attitude and had to remind herself the woman was a client. “Tell you what, I’ll go around to the theater, talk to the people there, see if I can find who she auditioned with and inquire if she got the part. So, tell me, how long have you known each other?”
Marcella waited while the dishes were cleared away and the waiter left the check.
“Since the first day she came to work as a paralegal, about four years ago. I could see how everyone was snickering and whispering. I felt kinda sorry for her, so I asked her if she’d join me for lunch, and we’ve been friends ever since.” Marcella stared off in the distance. “I know what it feels like when people make fun of you.”
Jonelle waited for Marcella to continue. When she didn’t, Jonelle signed the credit card receipt and they stood to leave. “After I talk to as many people I can at the community playhouse, I’ll take a swing by the police department to see if they’ve done anything about your missing person’s report.”
Marcella stopped at the door and grabbed Jonelle’s arm. “Please don’t do that,” she said.
“Why not? I know a few detectives over there. I’ll be discreet.”
Marcella walked outside, shaking her head. She stopped and turned toward Jonelle, a worried look on her face. “Because I lied. I never filed that police report.”
CHAPTER 7
Jonelle hated it when people lied to her. “I’m really sorry,” Marcella said, for the fourth time since they left the restaurant.
“I could be polite and say it doesn’t matter,” Jonelle said, as they stopped in front of Marcella’s building. “But it does.” She paused as several people, in a hurry to get back to their offices, squeezed past the two women. Some gave the duo dirty looks. Jonelle motioned for Marcella to move away from the entrance, and the two stepped over to one side.
“I’m not the right person to search for LucieBlu unless you’re totally honest with me,” Jonelle said. “You’d be wasting my time and your money, if I have to question whether or not you’re telling me the truth.”
“I’m not sure myself why I said what I said, but… ” Marcella checked her watch. “I gotta get back to work or I’ll be in trouble. Please don’t give up trying to find LucieBlu. I promise I’ll tell you everything later, okay?” Marcella scooted inside without waiting for Jonelle’s response.
The walk back to her Jeep took a bit of the edge off of Jonelle’s feelings. She still couldn’t believe that Marcella had deliberately lied over something so trivial, and as easy to verify, as notifying the police about LucieBlu’s disappearance.
Up until Marcella’s deception, Jonelle believed that all she needed to do was ask the client the right questions and honest answers followed. In Marcella’s case, it appeared that assumption was wrong. If the woman felt the need for deception, then Jonelle needed a little covert action. Jonelle checked her watch. She decided to return to Marcella’s workplace later that afternoon, wait for the woman to leave, and then follow her. If Marcella went home, fine. If she didn’t, then that may reveal more information about the woman through observation than Jonelle could get if she had to depend on the woman’s words.
Jonelle also knew she’d have to reschedule Sally’s trip to the bank to get the safety deposit box. After calling and exchanging pleasantries, Jonelle apologized for the change of plans and the two agreed Jonelle would arrive at Sally’s house around ten tomorrow morning. That done, she checked the
address of the county’s local playhouse.
Twenty-five minutes later she arrived at the community theater and parked in the open lot around the back. A few cars filled spaces close to the building. Jonelle locked the Jeep and followed the concrete walkway around to the front. Large billboards on either side of the entrance announced “Little Shop of Horrors starring Peter Dell as Seymour and Kendra Gomez as Audrey”.
No one stopped her as she went in and wandered around the empty lobby. Muted sounds from behind red double doors caught her attention. She pushed open the doors, entered the theater and stepped back in surprise by the size of the space. A multitude of seats faced the stage, more than she imagined from how the place looked from the outside. A wide center aisle divided the seating area in half. Three people, two men and a young woman, ambled back and forth across the platform. The woman pulled a load of plants on a trolley and positioned each one around a mock-up of a flower shop. The men moved furniture and arranged the items around the set.
“Excuse me,” Jonelle said, walking toward them. “I’d like to speak to whoever is in charge.”
The woman stopped what she was doing and went over to the edge of the stage where Jonelle stood. “The director doesn’t come in until around three. Is there something I can help you with?”
Jonelle nodded. “I’m looking for information about the recent audition of LucieBlu Bonderant.”
At the mention of the name, all three stopped and stared at Jonelle. The woman spoke first. “Well, then maybe you better wait until he gets back.” They looked at each other and resumed carrying props and placing them around the stage.
“Were any of you here then? Did you happen to see the audition?” Jonelle asked, not wanting to waste an hour when these three might know something.
They ignored her as if she were of no more consequence than the hum of the air conditioning in the room.
Jonelle detected stairs at the side of the stage. She skirted the orchestra pit, marched up and strode to the middle of the platform. Her footsteps echoed through the hall. All three workers took pains to ignore her.
“I can see you guys are busy, and I don’t mind waiting for the director, but I bet you can answer a few of my questions.”
No one spoke. Jonelle stood rooted to the spot just left of center stage. One of the men pushed a counter on wheels in her direction. “Excuse me,” he mumbled. He indicated with his head that she stood where he needed to place the prop.
Jonelle stared at him. “Nope,” she said. “Not moving until you answer a couple questions. See, LucieBlu is missing and her friend is very worried something may have happened to her. I’ve been hired to find out what that something is. So, I can stand here for the next hour or so, or you guys can cooperate a little. What’s it gonna be?”
“What do you mean, she’s missing?” the woman asked.
Jonelle turned and faced her. “Gone. Vanished. No one knows where. She’s not at her apartment and she’s missed work. So, if you’ll please answer a few questions,” she looked at the guy with the prop, “I’ll get out of the way and wait for the director.”
“Go ahead. What do you want to know?” asked the older of the two men.
Jonelle moved so the stagehand could set the counter in place. “Did any of you witness the audition?”
“I did,” the woman said. “My job is also to help the talent with their lines if need be. LucieBlu has been here many times. She always knew her lines.” The girl shrugged. “She did fine. She usually did.”
“What’s your name?” Jonelle asked.
“Elissa. Elissa Steele.”
“My name’s Jonelle Sweet. So, Elissa, if LucieBlu did such a good job, why didn’t she get the part? I heard she didn’t she get any of the roles she tried out for. Why not?”
Elissa bent the leaves on the plastic plant she held in her arms.
“Hey, watch what you’re doing,” yelled one of the men.
“Sorry.” She stopped abusing the plant and set it down. “First, nobody here is prejudiced or anything. Okay? Second, the lead, Peter, really objected to her as his love interest. I mean, you could tell LucieBlu was kinda in the middle, sex wise I mean.”
“He didn’t seem to mind too much, considering…” the older man interjected.
Jonelle’s gaze shifted over to the prop guy. He hung his head and busied himself with setting up the fake storefront.
“What did you say?”
At first he said nothing. Before she asked him to repeat what he said, the man spoke up. “Look. It’s no big secret. I mean everyone knew. Peter gets the lead in all the musicals we put on. So, he and LucieBlu knew each other. Quite well from what I heard.”
“What exactly are you saying? Are you saying that they were more than associates? Were they friends?”
He snorted. “More than that. Rumor has it they actually dated.”
Jonelle looked at each stagehand in turn. She had their complete attention.
“So, the rumor was that LucieBlu and Peter dated. Yet, he objected to her as his co-star. Why?”
“You’d have to ask him,” Elissa said.
“Will do. Does anyone know how long they were going out together?”
The three workers shook their heads.
“Fine. Anyone know where I can find Peter?”
“You better ask the director. He’s the only one authorized to give out personal information.” Elissa paused. “Also, you might as well know Peter wasn’t the only one she went out with. She sometimes hung out with other actors in the production. LucieBlu always wanted the female lead, and while she never got it, she always landed other parts. Management just couldn’t risk alienating the audience by giving her one of the big roles.”
Jonelle walked closer to where Elissa stood. “How did she react, when she didn’t get the lead? She had to know what she was up against, right?” All three looked as if they’d already told her too much. “Help me out here will you? It’s possible she may have left against her will.”
Elissa sighed. “All I know for sure is what I’ve witnessed myself. Usually, she took rejection well. Just shrugged it off. We may not see her back here for a few days, but whenever she returned she was given another part and that seemed to help. But not this last time.”
Elissa hesitated.
“Yes?” Getting information out of these three was like trying to siphon gas with a straw.
“She seemed okay at first. But when she came back after the parade to get information about another role, she was real upset. In the meeting, LucieBlu kept yelling about how she was so much better than the other women who auditioned and how she was sick and tired of always coming in second. Everyone just let her vent. When she stopped, she shouted that we’d all regret it this time, and turned around and ran off. That’s the last time we saw her.”
“Did anyone go after her?”
“Not that I noticed,” Elissa said.
Jonelle empathized with LucieBlu’s frustration. To know you’re the best and still not be rewarded seemed so unfair.
“I need to find out everything that happened that day, from the time LucieBlu entered the theater, until she ran out. Can the director also give me a list of any other people she came in contact with on this or any other production?”
Elissa nodded. “His name’s Sherman Isaacson,” Elissa said. “Look, we all liked LucieBlu. It’s just that she tried too hard to be something she wasn’t.”
The point Marcella made earlier at lunch hit home. This wasn’t a case of LucieBlu trying to be something she wasn’t. LucieBlu knew she was a woman.
Elissa was speaking. “Sorry, Elissa. What were you saying?”
“I said, everyone accepted her. After all, she was a member of our Circle.”
“Be quiet about that,” the older prop guy said.
Jonelle turned toward him. “And you are?”
“Name’s Larry.”
“Okay, Larry. What’s wrong with telling me about the circle. Is this some sort of the
ater club?”
Larry looked over at Elissa.
“It’s no big deal,” Elissa said with a shrug. “The Circle isn’t really a club. It’s a Spirit Circle. A few of us get together once a week, sit in our assigned places forming a circle and explore our psychic energy.” The more Elissa talked about the Spirit Circle, the more animated she became. “It’s not goofy stuff like Ouija boards or anything; in fact, a big part of what we always do is meditate. Plus, we have a real physic medium. LucieBlu usually joined in. She really liked being a part of the Circle. Most of the actors did. They said it helped them understand their characters better.”
Not again. Jonelle inwardly groaned. First, Sally with her dead Percy, and now this. She didn’t want to speculate on the difference between a “real” as opposed to “fake” psychic medium. “So, this Spirit Circle is the meeting you mentioned before? Was Peter also a part of this?”
Elissa shook her head. “He claimed it was all BS.”
Gotta agree with ole Pete on that one. “What about the director or the theater owner. Were they aware of this Circle of yours?”
“Of course,” Elissa said. “Actually, the owner and the director are one and the same. He leads the Circle. Sherman is our psychic medium.”
Jonelle turned away from the group and paced up and down the stage. Her first two real cases and both of them involved positions she didn’t believe in. How on earth was she going to explain all this psychic mumbo jumbo to Marvin at the weekly staff meeting?
“Uh, Ms. Sweet?” Elissa and the others looked on as Jonelle paced across the stage.
“Sorry. I’ve found that movement helps me think,” she said, stopping and facing the trio. She reached in her bag and handed each one a business card. “If you discover anything else that could help me locate LucieBlu, please let me know.”
Elissa nodded her agreement.
“You guys as well. One more thing. About this Spirit Circle. Anything else happen that last time LucieBlu participated?”
Gone Missing: A Jonelle Sweet Mystery Book 2 Page 4